It’s 5 o’clock on Sunday night. Familiar faces are gathering around colorful bowls of M&M’s, pita chips dipped in hummus, and raspberry lemonade. Laughter fills the air as the past week’s events are discussed. Eventually we all congregate around in the living room to get the formal gathering started. Someone opens up the night by reiterating what was studied last week and what we will be studying today. Then Bryan goes into a time of teaching. At this stage the group is still small enough to facilitate some group discussion. Ideas are passed around. Inquiries and differing viewpoints are considered.

The group is growing. Not just in size, the group is growing closer together as we learn what it means to be a true Christian community. We pray for each other, we celebrate victories, we mourn losses, we meet needs. At the end of the night, after more time socializing together, maybe even grabbing dinner at a local restaurant, we each go our separate ways into the city we love and hope to reach for the glory of God.